Arsenal will learn their opponents for the league phase of the Champions League today. The draw takes place on Thursday evening in Monaco, with the competition once again featuring a 36-team league phase. Clubs will face two teams from each of the four pots.
Arsenal's Pot 1 options
Arsenal are one of the top seeds for this season's competition. Manchester City and Liverpool are also in Pot 1, but teams cannot play clubs from the same country in the league phase. That leaves Arsenal with six possible opponents for their two fixtures against Pot 1 clubs.
PSG are one of those, in what would be a repeat of last season's final in Budapest. There is a strong chance Arsenal face a Spanish side, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid all options as well.
Potential opponents: PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid.
Pot 2 and Pot 3 possibilities
With Manchester United and Aston Villa both in Pot 2, Arsenal's opponent list is again limited. There could be a swift reunion with Club Brugge for Christos Tzolis, while Arsenal could also go up against Sporting after beating them in the quarter-finals last year.
The pre-season preparations could also prove useful for Arteta and his players. The Gunners faced Borussia Dortmund and Real Betis over the summer, with both waiting as possible Pot 2 opponents. Potential Pot 2 opponents: Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Porto, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV.
There are no English clubs in Pot 3, so Arsenal could play any two of these sides. That might mean a trip to Stamford Bridge, as Shakhtar Donetsk will play their home matches in west London after Chelsea failed to qualify for European football this season.
Potential Pot 3 opponents: Feyenoord, Lille, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray.
Pot 4 and the scenarios
Cesc Fabregas's Como side, who Arsenal also faced in pre-season earlier this month, are in Pot 4 after qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history. Stuttgart and Lens are also in this pot, while there is the potential of a very lengthy trip to face Azerbaijani side Sabah.
Potential Pot 4 opponents: Slavia Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Stuttgart, AEK Athens, LASK, Como, Lens, Viking, Sabah.
Dream scenario for Arsenal: Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Shakhtar Donetsk, AEK Athens, Viking.
Nightmare scenario for Arsenal: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Porto, Real Betis, Fenerbahce, Bodo/Glimt, Stuttgart, Sabah.
